Conveyer.



S. F. JOUR.

GONVEYER.

APPLICATION FILED 11110.17, 1901.

1,057,556. L Patented Apr. 1,1913.

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S. I. J OOR.

GONVBYEE.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.17, 1907.

Patented Apr. 1, 1913.

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APPLICATION FILED DEO. 17, 1907.

1,Q57,556. Patented Apr. 1, 1913.

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S. F. JOOR.

OONVEYER. APPLIUATION funn 11110.17, 1907.

flttouwg UNITED STATES APATENT oEEToE.

SAMUEL F. JOOB, OF MORGAN PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 THE JEFFREY MANU- FACTUBING COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

' CoNVEYEn.

To all 'whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, SAMUEL F. Joon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Morgan Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Conveyers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to conveyers com-- prising a series of carriers and particularly" to endless conveyers of the type 'generally known as swinging tray elevators. In this class of conveyers an endless chain or cable traveling in vertical paths and around a sheave or sprocket wheel at each lof thel upper and lower limits of its course, supports a series of carriers. ,These carriers receive packages or bundles of various description at any one of several stories or'oors'of the building in which the conveyer is installed and deliver at` any floor.

My invention has ltwo objectsy in view: first, automatic means for preventing the placing of a load in position to lbe received by the moving carrier when the carrier already has a load upon it; second, automatic means whereby the operator when loading a carrier can determine the floor at which the load will be discharged.

Other minor objects will appear from a reading'of the following description, in connection with the drawings of which;

Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical, sectional view of a building through the conveyer shaft. Fig. 2 is a similar sectional view taken in a plane at right angles to that of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal. sectional view across the conveyer shaft taken along'the line 3-3 o f Figs. 2 and 4. Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section showing one complete set. of mechanisms as provided at each hoor, the view being taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 in the direction o-f the arrow Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged' detail views' of the adjustable contact roller. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail View of the device for locking the loading plat-forms in position. Fig. 8 is a vert-ical sectional enlarged View taken along the line -8-8 of Fig. 3 in the direction of the arrow a. Fig. 9 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along theline 9-9 of Fig. 4 in thedirection of the arrow c. Fig. 10 is an e'nlarged horizontal sectional view showing the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1, 1913.

Application mea December 17, 1907. serial 17a-406,957.

.- manner in which the carriers 'are suspended from the chain. Fig. 11 1s a perspective view of the central carrier nger 42a and adjacent parts. Fig. 12 is a det-ail view of the retaining device for the loading mechanism controlling lever.

21`to 26l indicate the respective floors of a six-story building. 27, 27 are twosprocket cables, chains or ropes which pass over the sprocket wheels 28, 28, at a point above the top floor and under the sprocket wheels 29, 29, at a point below the first floor.

The wheels 28, 28 are suitably mounted in the supporting framework 30 and are driven .by pinions 31, 31, rigidly mounted on the shaft 32 which in turn is driven from any suitable source of power to which it is connected by the power-transmitting devices indicated generally by 33. The lower wheels 29, are mounted in the framework 34 in a manner to provide foi` the takeupof slack in the cables.

The cariers 35, comprise the grid-like tray 36 carried by the .suspension bars 37 which are pivotally hung from the short shafts 38, carried in suitable bearings by the chain or cable. Upon the short shafts 38 are mounted the guide wheels or rollers 39 and at the lower end ofthe suspension bars 37, similar guide wheels y40 are mounted.

The angle irons 41, serve as .guide-rails for these guide wheels and are suitably curved at their ends, so that the trays are moved in a fixed vert-ical path, without oscillation about their axis of suspension while traveling in the upward and downward paths of their course, and are allowed to swing freely when making the upper and lower turns. l

The tray proper consists of the U-shaped metal frame piece 41', rigidly secured to the suspension bars 37, the parallel wooden fingers 42 rigidly secured to the frame piece, and the end plates 42 bolted to the frame piece, vand suspension bars.

l will now describe the automatic means duplicated upon each floor by which l prevent the placing of a package in position to be vengaged by the lingers 42 of a carrier, when such carrier is already loaded. ln Fig. 4, 43 is a doorway or opening for obtaining access to the conveyer on the loading side, which is the side on which the conveyer moves upwardly.

44 is a 1-oading platfvrm, consisting of the U-shaped frame bar 45 and the parallel-iin the plane of the doorway 43 at 47 to hinge- .pins 48 projecting from fixed parts of the building. By means o-f the links 49 each pivoted at one end to the outer ends of the U-shaped frame bar 45 and at the other to one end of one of the levers 50, which are pivotedv to fixed parts 'of the building at 51, 51, the loading platform can be raised or lowered. The counter weights 52 on the ends of the levers 50, opposite the pivotal connection with link 49, act to hold `t-he platform in a vertical position against the stops 53, as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 4. The yieldable spring detent or catch V53 holds the lever and platform lin a de'nite vertical position.

To load a carrier a package or bundle is put upon the stationary stand 54, the handle 55 of either one of the levers 50 is raised throwing the platform to a horizontal position, and the bundle pushed by the operator ont-o theplatform. The next carrier will lift the bundle from the platform as its ngers pass between the platform fingers,and the weights 52 will cause the platform to resume its normal vertical position.

To prevent the operators from placing a bundle in position on the loadingplatform 44 when the next approaching tray is already loaded, with the result of crushing the lower bundle or causing the upper one to fall downtheconveyer shaft, the platform 44 is automatically locked in position while a carrier thusI loaded is the next approaching one. A

The plunger 56, held normally out of engagement with the socket 57 in the free end of one of the fingers 46 by the spring 58, is moved into engagement when the solenoid 59 is electrically energized. One terminal of the solenoid is connected to one of two electrical main wires 68 and 69, which lead from the positive and negative terminals of a suitable source of electric current, as shown dlagrammatically in the drawings. The

yother terminal is connected with'the guiderails 41.

Pivoted to the'outer end of one or more of the moving tray lingers 42, preferably of the central finger 42a, is a channel-shaped` covering piece 60 with its depending flanges 61 lying on either side of the linger. `A

light compression spring 62 is secured at` tact device 66 engages the contact stri rectl-y beneath it on the linger 42a. The wire 65 connects any part of the metal cover piece 60 with the metal tray frame 41. The

electrical contact device 66 is mounted upon ed to the contact button 64 by the conductor wire 73. The contact strip 67 extends from the level of one landing or a point shortly above a landing down below the lioor a dis-V tance somewhat greater than the distance between two trays. 'This contact strip" is mounted upon suitable framework 68 from which it is insulated, and is electrically connected to the second one ofthe two main current supply wires 68, 69 above mentioned by the conductor 74. When a loaded ascending carrier reaches a point 'where its c0117:

a circuit is established between the posltive and negative supply wires 68 and 69 through the conductor wire 70, the solenoid 59, conductor wirel 7l, guide-rails 41, guide Wheels 40, the carrier frame 41', conductor wires 65, coverl piece 60, contact key 63, 64,

conductor wire 73 contact device 66, strip 67, and conductor wire 74.

The plunger is moved into engagement with the socket in the free end of the central finger of the loading 'platform which is thereby locked in position until the loaded tray has reached a point where the contact device 66 breaks engagement with the contact strip 67. On the other hand when an unloaded carrier approaches a landing the key 63, 64 is held open by the spring 62, no circuit is established and the plunger is held out of engagement with the socket in the finger of the loading platform by the spring 58 and the lever 50 can be operated to throw the loading platform into a horizontal position.

.I have also devised means whereby the operator when loading the carrier may determine the floor at which it shall automatically unload. Referring to Fig. 9, to the right hand side of Fig. 8 and to the lefthand side of Figs. 3 and 4, a discharging platform 74 comprises the parallel fingers 75, spaced to permit the carrier fingers to pass between them and the U-shaped frame bar 76 to which the fingers are rigidly secured. To the frame bar are secured the ends of the shafts 77, 78 which are mounted in the bearings 7 9, 80. Rigidly secured to these lshafts are the levers 81 at the outer ends of which are the counter-weights 82. Also rigidly secured to the shaft 78 is the spur gear wheel 83 which meshes with` the rack bar 84 carried by the plunger 85 operated by the solenoid 86. The limit of upward movement of the discharging platform is determined by the links 87, 87,-88, 88,

' ling said carriers along said each of the links 87 pivotall secured at one end to one end of t e frame A6 of said discharging platform and each of the links 88 being lpivotally secured at one end to fixed arts of the building, each air of links ing pivoted together at their other ends.v Upon one of the side plates of the carrier is mounted the gear wheel 8 9 (see.

-nected to one of the current feed wires,

heretofore mentioned, by conductor wire 94,

and conductor wire 95 electrically connects.

the guide rails 41 with the solenoid 86, the other terminal of which is connected to the other current feed wire by the conductor 96. Each of the contact strips 93, 93" extends from a ipoint between two landings down to a point justbelow the lower of the said two landings, no two of said con.

tact strips being in vertical alinement with each other.

When a carrier, the dial of which has been set at Fig. 5 bythe operator, as he placed thereon the load during its ascent, reaches the point during its descent at which the roller 92 comes into contact with the strip 93 when intermediate of the fth and sixth iioors, circuit will be completed through conductor Wire 94, contact strip 93, contact roller 92, carrier frame, guide rails 41, conductor wire 95, solenoid 86 and conductor wire 96, and the. plunger of the solenoid will be operated to raise the fingers of the platform.74, in a position to discharge the bundle `from the carrier tra 36. Y

at I claim is: 1. In a conveying system, guide mechanism, a series of carriers, means for propel- 'de mechanism, a series of loading stations, loading mechanism at the stations, means for lock-l ing 'each of the loading mechanisms against operation, and means on each of the carriers desi ed when the carrier is loaded to automatically put each of said locking means into action ata corres onding predetermined part of the path o said carriers.

2. In a conveying system, guide mechanism, a series of carriers, means for propelling said carriers along said ide mechanism, a series of loading stations, loading mechanism at the stations, means for locking each of the loading mechanisms against operation, and means on each of the carriers operable by a load carried thereby, designed to automatically put each of said locking means into action at a corresponding predetermined part of the path of said carriers.

3. In a conveying system, guide mechaling said cariers along said. `ide mechanism, a series of loading stations, loading mechanism at the stations, means for automatically causing each loadingV mechanism to resume its normal position after eachn loading operation, means for locking each of the loading mechanisms against operation, and means on each of the carriers operable by a load carried thereby, desi ed to automatically put each of said loc gf-v means into action at a corresponding predetermined part of the path of said carriers.

4. In a conveying system, guide. mechanism, a 'series of carriers, means for propel- 7u nism, a series of carriers, means for propell ling said carriers along said i-de mecha-N nism, a series of loading stations, loading mechanism at the stations, means for locking each of the loading mechanisms against operation, and a series of *devices located at predetermined parts of the path of said carriers, and means on each of the carriers .operable by a load carried thereby co erating with each of the aforesaid series o devices to automaticall throw the corresponding locking means into action. k

5. In a conveying system, guide mechanism, a series of carriers, means for propelling said carriers along said guide mechanism, a series of loading stations, loading mechanism at the stations, means for lock-1 ing each of the loading mechanisms against n operation, and a series of devices located at predetermined parts of the fpath of said carriers, and means on each o the carriers operable by a load carried thereby coperating with each of the aforesaid series of devices to automatically throw the corresponding locking means into action to maintain said locking means in action until the carrier has past the corresponding vloading sta tion and immediately thereupon throw out of action said locking means.

' 6. In a conveying system, guide 'mechanism, a series of carriers, means for propelling said carriers 'along said ide mecha-g nism, a series of loading stations, loading mechanism at the stations, an electro-magnetic device, mechanical means operable by said `electro-magnetic device for locking each of the loadin mechanisms against op;; eration, a pair. o extended electrical contacts along the path ofthe carriers corresponding to and in advance of each loading station, contacts upon each carrier engaging therewith respectively, a contact key upon. the carrier operable b a load carried thereby, a source of electric current, and Wiring whereby the current source, electro-magnetic device, extended electricall contacts, pair of contact devices mounted on the carrier, andl 4an endless chain or cable passing around;

th'econtactlrey are in seriesin one electrical; circuit.' v

7. In an endless conveying system, ver-'l tically arranged guide mechanism, turnin devices at the upperand lower ends vthereot,g

said turning devices and along said guiday mechanism, carriers attached at regular in-gy tervals thereto, a series of loading stations, loading mechanism at the stations, means@ .for locking each of the loading mechanisms ing locking means into action at 'a correspending predetermined part of the patlii oit-said carriers.

8.- In an endless conveying system, vertically arranged guide mechanism, turning? devices at the upper and lower ends thereof,

an endless chain or cable passing aroundif said turning devices and along said guide mechanism, fork-'like carriers attached at;

regular intervals thereto having a plurality of horizontal fingers, a series of loading sta-l tions, fork-like loading mechanism-at the .staticns having Aa plurality of horizontal lingers interspated with respect 'to the cari; rie'r fingers and adapted to occupy two sitions 'one horizontal lwith its general out-L line coinciding with-the cross section of the path .of the carriers and the other entirely.

Iremoved from the lines of travel of the carriers, means for withdrawing each loading mechanism from the former to. thek latter' position after the operation of loading, .means for locking each of the loading mech- .anisms in the second position, and a series of devices each locatedin advance of a cor, responding-loading station a distance ap-I proximately equal to the interval between two successive carriers, and means on each of thel carriers operable' by a load carried thereby, designed to coperate with each of the said series of devices to automatically put the corresponding locking means into action at a corresponding predetermined.

:part of the path of/said carriers.

'-9 In an endless conveying system, guide mechanism, an' endless chain orgcable moving through a path determined by said guide mechanism and controlled in its motion i thereby, carriers attached at regular intervals thereto, a series of loading stations along the path of the endless conveyer, loading mechanism at each station capable of having two positions of adjustment, one in die path of articles being conveyed by the carriers and thev other out of said path,

'55a locking mechanism for each loading mechanism to hold it in its latte-r'position, and control mechanism upon the carriers adapted to automatically operate thesaid locking mechanism while a loaded car is passing a loading station.

l0.' In a vertically moving conveyer of the class described having a series of carrier trays spaced at regular intervals, unloading stations, an unloading trayat each station capable of having two positions of adjustment, one in the path of articles conveyed by the'v carriers and Vthe other out of said path, power means for moving said unloadving tray from the latter to the former position, and control mechanism upon each car- 30 rier adapted to operate thepower means, and automatic means independent of the said carrier trays for returning said unloading tray to the aforesaid latter position.

ling said carriers alo said guide mechal u I I nism, a seriesof unloa ing stations, unloading mechanism at each of said stations, means *continuously tending to move'the unloading 90 mechanism to an inoperative position, adjustable means on each ca-rrier'adapted in each position of adjustment to move one of said unloading mechanims into an operative -position, and means for adjusting said 'adjust-"35 able means.'

l2. In a conveying system, a'gude meclif' anism, a series of carriers, means for propelling said carriers along said guide mechanism, a series of unloading stations, unloading mechanism at each of said stations, means continuously tending to move the said unloading mechanism into an inoperative position, adjustable means .on each carrier adapted in each position of adjustment to 165 move one of said unloading mechanisms into an operative position, and means likewise on'said carrier for adjusting said adjustable means.

13. n an endless cable or chain,;a' guide mechanism therefor, means for driving the cable or chain, carriers attached at regular intervals to said cable or chain, a series of unloading stations, unloading mechanism at veach of said stations, means continuously tending to move the said unloading mechanism to an inoperative position, a device for moving said unloadingmechanism to an operative position, a series of devices out of aline/ment with vone another with respect to the lines of travel of the conveyer one at each unloading station, and adjustable means on the carriers cooperating with anyone of said devices to set in operation any one of said unloadin mechanisms, and means 'for ladjusting sai adjustable means.V

14. In a vertical moving conveyer'of the -cl'ass describedhaving e series, of carrier trays spaced at regular intervals, unloading 1 30 11. In a conveying system, a-guide mech- 35 anism, a series of carriers, means for propelendless conveying system, an 11G stations, an unloadingtray at' each station 'capable of having two positions of adjustment, one in the path' of the conveyer and the other out`of said path, power means for moving said unloading tray from the latter to the former position, automatic means independent of the said carrier trays for returning saidl unloading tray to the aforesaid latter position, a 'serles of devices out of alnement with one another with respect tothe lines of travel of the carriers, and an adjustable means on each of the carriers cooperating with any 'onel of the aforesaid series ofdevices to move the corresponding unloading platform into the path of the carrier.

15. In a vertically moving conveyer of the class described havin a series of carriers trays spaced at regu ar intervals, unload! Ispect to the lines of travel of the carriers, an

adjustable means on each of the carriers cooperatin with any one of the aforesaid series of evices to move the corresponding unloading latform into the path of the carrier, an means for adjustlng said adjustable means.

16. In a vertically moving conveyer of the class described having a series of carrier trays spaced at .re lar intervals, unloading stations,an unloa ing tray ateach station capable of having two positions of adjustment, one in the path of the conveyer and the other out of said path, power means for moving said unloading tray from the latter to the former osition, automatic means independent of t e said carrier tra s for retlu'nlng said unloading tray to t e aforesaid latter position, a series of devices out of alnement with one another with respect to the lines of travel of the conveyer, each located' in advance of a corresplondingunloadi station a` distance less t an` thedistance tween two successive carriers, and an adjustable means on each of the carriers rating with any one of the aforesaid i series of devices to move the corresponding unloading platform into the path of the carrier.

17. In a vertically moving conveyer of the class described having a series of carrier trays spaced at re lar intervals, unloading stations, an unloa ing tray at each station capable of having two positions of adjustment, one in the path. of the conveyer and the other out of said path, power means for moving said unloading tray from the latter to the former osition, automatic means independent of t e said carrier trays for returning .said unloading tray to the aforesaid latter position, a series of devices out of alnement with one another with respect t'o the lines of travel of the conveyer, each loca-ted in advance of a corres onding unloadingestation a'di'stance less tian the distance tween two successive carriers, and an adjustable means on each of the carriers coperating with any one of the aforesaid series of devices to move the corresponding unloading platform into the path of the carrier, to maintain it in said position until said carrier has passed the corresponding unloading station.y

1.8. In an endless conveyer system, an endless cabley or chain, a gui e mechanism therefor, means for driving the cable and chain, carriers attached at regular intervals Vto said cable or chain, a series of unloadin stations, unloading mechanism at each o said unloading stations adapted to cause a carrier to unload its package or bundle, mechanical electro-magnetic means for operating' said unloading mechanism, a series of extended electrical contacts out of alnement with one another with respect to the lines of travel of the conveyer each commencing at a point in advance of its corresponding unloading mechanism by 'a' distance less than the interval between two successive carriers and extending beyond said corresponding unloading mechanism, an adjustable electrical contact upon each of said carriers 4 adapted to engage one of said extended electrical contacts in a corresponding position of adjustment, a source of electrlc current and a system of connecting conductor wires, whereby when any one of the said extended electrical contacts is in engagement with the carrier contact, circuit 1s established having in series the source of current, and the mechanical electro-magnetic means. i

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature, in presence -of two witnesses.

SAMUEL F. J OOR.

Witnesses:

, Mann: GA'rzax,

GEO. H.: BnmINGs. 

